If I were still teaching in the primary grades, students would definitely find FARM FRIENDS ESCAPE! (Animal Planet Adventures#2) by Gail Herman and DOLPHIN RESCUE (Animal Planet Adventures #1) by Catherine Nichols on my bookshelves. Each 10-chapter book introduces readers to a pair of protagonists (cousins Luke and Sarah in Farm Friends Escape, and siblings Maddie and Atticus in Dolphin… Read more »
Dianne White
Somebody Loves You…
Valentine’s Day comes once a year, but isn’t every day the perfect day for letting somebody know you care? Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Paul Yalowitz (S&S, 1991) is what I like to call an “oldie but goodie.” It’s been shared with children for over 25 years! In a time in our… Read more »
Bears, Bees, and Flamingos
Poetry is perfect for any age, and today’s post introduces readers to a new series of board book poetry perfect for young readers. Flamingos Fly and Bears are Big are just two of the four books in the “Animals Play” series by Douglas Florian (Little Bee Books, 2017). Brightly colored illustrations by Barbara Bakos bring a… Read more »
Stef Soto, Taco Queen
Estefania “Stef” Soto has been trying to get her Papi to stop bringing her family’s taco truck, Tía Perla, to Saint Scholastica School for months. Doesn’t he understand that hardly anyone gets picked up from school by their parents anymore? Stef just wants to be like all the other kids. When Julia, her once-upon-a-time friend, calls… Read more »
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph by Roxane Orgill, illustrated by Francis Vallejo (Candlewick, 2016) From the flap: “In 1958, Esquire magazine was planning a special issue focused on American jazz. Art Kane, a graphic designer in New York City, pitched a crazy idea: gather as many jazz musicians as were willing and… Read more »
Steamboat School
“… sometimes courage is just an ordinary boy… doing a small thing, as small as picking up a pencil.” Reverend John Berry Meachum was no ordinary boy. Born a slave, Reverend John later purchased his freedom and began offering “religious and secular education to free and enslaved black St. Louisan’s.” STEAMBOAT SCHOOL by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by… Read more »
you belong here
The stars belong in the deep night sky, and the moon belongs there too, and the winds belong in each place they blow by, and I belong here with you. — by M.H. Clark Soothing rhythms calm and reassure young readers in this lyrical picture… Read more »
